Nov 28, 2018

Looks like the pink hue eyeshadow is going to be the next big trend in makeup. Or is it already happening now? First, there was the Urban Decay Naked Cherry. And now, this - Huda Beauty Nude. On the first glance, it doesn't resemble the usual nude that we are accustomed for which is the skin tone browns. It has pink-peach tones which don't resemble the nude that we are familiar with. But according to Huda Kattan, this palette is a game-changer to all the nude palettes ever made. It embraces confidence and not the "naked nude".

Initially, I thought the pink tone eyeshadow palette is so overdone. For example, the peach palette was quite a good investment for me, and then I put it aside because I couldn't figure out how to use it on a daily look.

I bought this palette for the reason that the colors are extremely beautiful. From my previous Huda Beauty Rose Gold Palette, I have expressed that I didn't like the palette, but I am willing to give this palette a try because of its new formula.

One thing I notice from this new palette is that the mattes are less powdery and the glitters are more compact. These are the two noticable upgrades I see compared to the previous palettes.

There is a wet patch on the Secret swatch. It shows that you can use the wet technique as well on the matte eyeshadows.

Pros:

The eyeshadow quality is extremely good. The matte shadows are easily blended and the glitters are creamy and rich. The color pay-off is totally is good.

The combination of colors, textures, and tones are well-thought of. The palette can create endless looks and they are mixed cohesively.

There are some colors that you are able to use for a daily look.

The paltte comes with a large mirror, which I know a lot of people would enjoy using.

Cons:

The first thing I didn't like about the palette is the concealer. I rather swap it with another darker brown eyeshadow to create a smokey look. I think everyone has their own personal favourite concealer. That additional concealer really doesn't serve any purpose. Besides, the palette has really rich glittered eyeshadow, I foresee that in the long run, the glitters are going to stick on the concealer. That is a basic common sense, I'm not sure why the Huda Beauty team thinks it is a good idea to include the concealer.

The price is, of course, a debatable point. Some might think that it isn't expensive compared to other high-end brands. I am still going to say that this is a downside of the product because of the price, you'll get a lot of options in the market.

With the hefty price tag, the palette still comes with a cardboard box like the other palettes. I wish they could do an upgrade on the packaging. And speaking of packaging, I think I'm done with the Huda's eyes on the front (and basically everywhere) on the package. If they could feature some new artwork, that would be great.

Tips:

Use your fingers to pat on the glittered eyeshadow instead of using the brush. You'll get a lot of fall-out when using the brush and it is also lack of intensity.

Use a wet brush for more intense color.

This palette is one that you'll need to work on an eye primer, especially if you're going to use a lot of the glitters.

Nov 22, 2018

This blush is extremely pretty - that's enough excuse to get one. I got drawn to it because of the unique packaging and the very girly salmon pink shade of the blush. I'm really into salmon pink shades at the moment because it lifts up the spirit whenever I look at it. Plus, the delicate dandelion applicator adds the fun of it.

Product explanation: Just like cotton candy, this Loose Blush is sure to keep you sweet! You’ll be pretty in pink when you use the soft puff stick applicator to apply a hint of colour to your cheekbones. The powder blush even has a delicate shimmer for a naturally radiant finish.

Let the review begins!

Pros:

It is extremely beautiful (not sure how many times I'm going to say this). Whenever I use, it adds a little special moment. To me, the time spent on makeup is also my "me time". I enjoy admiring the packaging, swirling the blush on to the dandelion puff and brush it off my cheek. That moment of self-love is really precious. Kinda off-topic, but you know what I mean...

There is a fainted rose scent which smells really good. It is good to know that the scent comes from the rose extract and not perfumed alcohol. Rest assured, it is friendly to sensitive skin.

The shade itself is really beautiful. I'm using 02 Fluffy Flower. It gives a light wash when applied, so it isn't "into your face" kind of product. You need to work on a few layers to get a strong blush on your cheek. I like my blush to be sheer, so this is a good feature of the product.

The dandelion applicator is so awesome. Initially, I thought it wouldn't pick up the product, but it works just as good as a blush. It did hurt a little when you see the foundation kinda smeared on the "bulu-bulu" of the dandelion. (Should I add that in the "cons" section?)

It contains natural ingredients such as rosemary extract, lavender oil and avocado oil.

Cons:

First of all, you don't get much product from the container. There are only 5g of blush. To break it down, it's about RM32 per gram, which is really expensive. Other high-end blush normally cost around RM20 per gram.

The price is a bit expensive, so this isn't a good idea to use it for regular daily blush.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this blush or not. It is nice to have and not a must-have. If you have the money to spend, it is definitely a good addition to your makeup collection. Otherwise, you could get it as a treat for a special occasion.

Nov 17, 2018

Since I spent most of my time filling in my Traveler's Notebook, I will show you guys how my travel journal looks like. The style that I adopt is mostly collage, using scraps of paper goods I collected during my trip, washi tapes, stickers, etc.

お楽しみに.

The Traveler's Notebook that I enjoy using now is the Tokyo Station Limited Edition brown cover. I bought this from Tokyo Station. The limited edition Traveler's Notebook is limited to 2 per person. I begin to like the brown cover a lot because as it tarnishes, the colour becomes more vivid. It is slowly becoming of a character of its own.

The first page is usually not my favorite because the insert is still fresh, lacking of inspiration and flow for me to start the first step. Some people keep it simple by putting just one photo or a quote. If you have any idea how to overcome this problem, let me know.

Throughout the trip I was eating salted salmon onigiri. I ate 2 each day in the morning while doing my makeup. I incorporated a recipe of onigiri in my travel journal. I think travel journal not necessarily focus on your travel tales, you can always add things like song lyrics, book excerpt, poem, etc.

At the bottom right corner, I use a brad to hold all the small pictures together. Although overlapping each other, the pictures can be slid to reveal the bottom pictures. I also use the pictures to protect the leaf stuck at the back.

I kept the ice cream label and drew a vanilla ice cream on it. I really love this idea.

I never knew I could paint a bowl of ramen, but I did.

My favorite page is Alice on Wednesday one. It's one of my favorite childhood cartoon and I still love it now.

This is the only two pages that I use the horizontal page instead of the usual vertical. I stuck in my fortune telling slip into the small envelope and the small postcard of Sensoji Shrine as a background.

What do you think of my journal pages? I know it's a little bit crowded, but I love it that way. Blank spaces bother me a lot. That is why I put lots of stickers to fill up the page.

Nov 13, 2018

School holiday is approaching. If you're planning on a trip to Melaka, and you have to tick off the bucket list for good Nyonya food, I highly recommend the Big Nyonya Restaurant.

Big Nyonya is one of the best Nyonya restaurants in town because of its reputable owner, Datuk Kenny. Datuk Kenny was a famous comedian in Malaysia who played a Nyonya character in the longest running comedy Baba Nyonya for 509 episodes. It's not because of the famed owner that the Big Nyonya Restaurant is good. Beyond the star-studded signboard, there's a team of passionate staff who keeps this restaurant running after Datuk Kenny passed away. The chef was personally trained by Datuk Kenny and now his legacy continues in the food they are serving here. This restaurant is a legit Nyonya Restaurant that puts the importance on fresh ingredients and authentic nyonya way of cooking.

In terms of pricing, you can expect to pay about RM80 for 4 dishes which is enough for 4 people. I think it is quite affordable and worth the trip.

Gerang Assam Fish (RM48)

Sambal Sotong (RM28)

Ponteh Chicken (RM20)

Kangkong Belacan (RM14)

Otak-otak

Sambal

Big Nyonya also has a good recommendation from TV3's program Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan. If you are a food lover, you'll know that the Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan's recognition is reliably honest.

Big Nyonya Restaurant is strategically located in Melaka town within walking distance from Hatten Hotel, Imperial Heritage Hotel, and Equatorial Hotel.

Nov 11, 2018

Many states in Malaysia will ban single-use plastic straws. This is a good news to a lot of restaurant operators because it will reduce their cost.

We can definitely do without the straws. But I always have this philosophy that - if you want to embrace zero waste lifestyle, incorporate small steps into your current lifestyle. Don't go for a drastic change because you won't be enjoying the sudden evolvement. So, if you are used to drinking with straws, look for an alternative to those single-use plastic straws that we have gotten used to.

In this post, I have 5 different straws to compare and I have ranked it according to my preference. Of course, you can always choose the reusable straws that suit your own preference.

#1 Stainless Steel Straw

My ultimate favorite is the stainless steel straws. I believe that stainless steel straw is easily acceptable because we have gotten used to using eating utensils like spoon and fork from stainless steel materials. It is durable, easy to clean and probably last forever.

There was an article circulating somewhere on the internet that the stainless steel materials are not harvested in an eco-friendly way. I totally disagree with the article because we have been harvesting the raw material for many reasons - construction, semiconductor, automobile, and other industries are relying on stainless steel. If the material is made into straws for each person on this planet, it would take up less than 0.001% of the harvest raw material. The idea is having 1 stainless steel straw for you to use it over and over again. Unless we are using the stainless steel straws as single-use straw, then there is a problem with

#2 Glass Straws

I also love glass straws, except it isn't durable as stainless steel straws. I avoid bringing it out because I'm afraid it might break in my bag after knocking and friction inside the case. While at home, I'm afraid the kids might drop it. The only problem with the glass straw is the fragile nature.

Other than that, glass straw is great for those who are OCD on the cleanliness of the inside of the straw. You can see clearly if there is something stuck in it. Glass is also aesthetically beautiful when serving juices or coloured drinks.

#3 Bamboo Straws

Some may argue that bamboo straw is the most eco-friendly and sustainable straw of all. I think that depends on the production itself. We can't use the bamboo as straw in its raw form. There is a few steps of the process that needs to be done. Some manufacturer might add bleaching or chemical in the cleaning process. Plus, the hollow of the straw needs to be smoothed out. Plus, the bamboo straws won't last forever as compared to stainless steel or glass (provided it doesn't break).

I don't prefer the bamboo straw as much as stainless steel and glass because there is debris of the bamboo which might be caught inside the straw. Plus, it isn't the most hygienic method because the pores of the bamboo can trap some bacteria if not cleaned properly. Most of all, I don't like it that we have to keep harvesting and process the bamboo just for drinking. For this fact, I don't think I would rate it as the eco-friendly straw. Anyway, that is my take on the eco-friendly or zero-waste concept. Of course, you can have different thoughts about it.

#4 Paper Straws

Paper straws shouldn't be on the top priority when looking for an alternative to plastic straws because it is also a single-use product. However, it is easier to decompose, which makes it better than plastic straws. In the event that you need to serve straws in a bigger scale, such as at parties, paper straw is a good solution.

I also find it convenient to have when you're staying in hospital or at office. In the situation where I don't have the time to wash my reusable straws, I would opt for paper straws.

#5 The Last Straws

The worst reusable straw of all is the Last Straw. You probably have seen this going viral on social media and gained lots of backers on Kickstarter.

First thing first, the production of the straw involves a lot of materials - plastic for the box, stainless steel for the straw structure and rubber for the straw backbone. When there are so many materials involved, the process of making the straw also becomes more complicated. In most cases, the product will be sent to a different manufacturer to complete each part. This increases the carbon footprint.

I seriously don't advocate the Last Straw as an eco-friendly straw. Although they have good marketing and brand presence, it really isn't eco-friendly. If you understand how manufacturing works, you'll totally detest the concept of Last Straw as eco-friendly.

In terms of practicality, I don't see it as good as other straws. The rubber works as the backbone of the straw where you drink from and it has a stainless steel casing to hold the structure. There is a gap in between the two and this gap allows water to trap in there. There is no way you can clean it. The brush that provided only cleans the inner part of the rubber. Imagine all the sugary water getting stuck in between the stainless steel and rubber.

The only good thing about the Last Straw is the casing. It is small and compact which is convenient to carry around. But for all the negative reasons discussed above, I won't be using this.

I often carry my stainless steel straws or glass straws in my straw case. It's made of plastic, which is super durable. I've been using it for almost a year now, and it still working perfectly fine. Someone suggested me to use bamboo case. I tried, but it doesn't last more than a month, then the cover cracked.

Sometimes when I can't wash my straws, I just throw it into the case and wash it when I'm home. It's really convenient.

Nov 5, 2018

First thing first, if you ever been to an onsen resort, this place may be lack of wow-factor for you. But if you are an Onsen-virgin, I highly recommend you to visit the Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Located at Odaiba, you can easily walk to the Oedo Onsen from the Museum of Emerging Science or take a bus there. The place is sort of a mini family amusement park with the onsen as main feature.

When arrived, you will be given a wrist tag. Whatever you spent here, it will be recorded in your wrist band. The payment will be calculated when you exit. It can be said as pretty dangerous because you might slack of tracking how much you spend there. Generally, admission is only ¥2720 (around RM100) for adults on the weekday. That being said, if you don't spend on other stuff such as food, massage service, games, etc. Book your entrance ticket on Klook for better deals, almost 40% cheaper.

I didn't take a lot of photos here because a lot of places are photos-prohibited. Most of the time I leave my camera and phone in the locker.

One thing to take note, this place is not tattoo-friendly, despite it is quite mainstream and touristy. Do take note if you have a tattoo. If you entered mistakenly with tattoo on, you are required to leave the place and pay for the entrance fee as well.

After changing into the yukata provided, you will enter the common area where food stalls and games stalls are the focus attraction.

The foot bath area is an open area with Japanese garden concept. It is really pretty to take photos here. It is probably the only bath area that allows photo since you are not required to strip.

After a 45-minutes bath and sauna, we treat ourselves with ramen and beer. I really love the tatami seating area. It feels a very cozy and warm, almost feel like you're at home.

Here are some tips:

You need to strip bare. Yes! No exception or towel is allowed.

If you're feeling shy (like me) hide in the micro bubble bath tub. The micro bubbles make the entire tub look like it's white, so it is safe to hide inside.

The place isn't wheelchair-friendly or pram-friendly.

Best time to go is in the morning 11AM or at night after 9PM. The bath area closes between 9AM-11AM for maintenance. Other areas are open 24 hours.

There are resting area and sleeping area here. You can spend a night here if you're short of cash to book a hotel room or just want a quick nap in between your trip.

They serve really good cold Asahi beer on the tap.

Be mindful of how much you spend on the food, games and souvenir. It is hard to keep track of your spending with the wrist-band.

Shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, comb, hairdryer and everything you need is provided for. You don't need to bring it because you will need to leave your belongings outside and no chance to use your own toiletries anyway.

I highly recommend you to spend your time here, especially towards the end of your trip for a relaxing day at the bath. I know I didn't provide much info and you probably can't imagine how it is like there. So, I found a video that really explains everything about this place. I'm not sure how this guy get to shoot his video there since it is no-photo area, but his video is really helpful. Enjoy: